Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will sign the official proclamation Friday that will set the state and its residents on a path to get ready for the undead, and to be prepared for numerous other emergency situations.

"We came up with the idea of Zombie Preparedness Month because it is an engaging way to get people on board with emergency preparedness," said Angee Morgan, deputy director of Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

Natural disasters require planning ahead so that Kansas residents aren’t caught unawares, including putting together home emergency kits with survival supplies to last at least three days and creating an emergency plan, the release said.

The popularity of zombie movies, television shows, and video games has made marketing with an undead appeal a frequent occurrence. From zombie runs across the country where the participants dress up like zombies to an Extreme Zombie Survival Experience put on in the UK, zombies are a part of mainstream culture.

“World War Z” set records last year for zombie box-office appeal, and hundreds of thousands of fans are awaiting the return of “The Walking Dead” on Oct. 12. The popular TV show pulled in 15.7 million viewers for its season finale last year, breaking records.